We pride ourselves on crafting honest, characterful wines that showcase our Shropshire terroir. Rowton holds great significance in our family as we have been custodians of the land for 3 generations since our grandfather first came here in 1963. We’re proud to be farming in this beautiful part of Shropshire.
It’s a busy and richly diversified working farm growing various crops and the grassland is home to our herd of Limousin cattle who graze the ancient Lime tree avenue leading up to Rowton Castle. We’ve also converted two stone barns on the farm to a homely B&B offering ten rooms and a spacious cellar door area for Rowton Vineyard!
Growing good produce is in our soul, it’s all we’ve ever known and we’re extremely passionate about it – we take quality and sustainability seriously. For the rest, we want to have a little fun and break with tradition!
We don’t just embrace being different, we want to be different.
Our vineyard
One of the biggest factors in planting a vineyard is deciding where to put it! Although England is a small country, there is a multitude of soil types and microclimates which make all the difference in a cool, marginal climate so it’s really important to consider locations carefully.
Our site at Whiston has always been in our minds as a great spot for a vineyard and in May 2020 it became reality!
The 5-acre site has a gentle slope towards the South East, maximizing sun exposure and encouraging any frost to roll off and away down the hill. The soil is a free-draining sandy silt loam – ideal, as vines don’t like having wet feet. It sits over a mixed bed of sandstone and Cardeston rock which gives the soil its red and sandy appearance. The site also has a unique microclimate as it’s sheltered from the prevailing South Westerly winds by an established tree line acting as a windbreak.
Our varieties
Sustainability is key for us, so we decided to champion hybrid varieties that require minimal chemical inputs. That way it’s good for us, good for the planet and good for you!
Solaris – a disease resistant and early ripening hybrid, originally from Germany. It’s a white variety that produces tropical aromas of pineapple and grapefruit.
Seyval Blanc – another disease resistant and complex hybrid variety, this white grape yields consistently and produces crisp, lean wines with balanced acidity – perfect for making sparkling wines!
Pinot Noir Précoce – a red grape that is an early ripening relative of Pinot Noir (Précoce meaning ‘early’ in French). It produces wines that are soft and full of colour with flavours of cherry and blackberries.
The Harvest
Harvest is the pinnacle of the grape-growing year at Rowton Vineyard. It’s the culmination of all the hard work and tender loving care we’ve given our vineyard over the course of the last year. Once the grapes are perfectly ripe, the work starts!
We are very fortunate to have a strong team of volunteers who help us tackle the mammoth task. Each bunch is carefully picked and sorted by hand to avoid any damage to the grapes. The hours can be long and the days can be tiring, but it brings enormous satisfaction and fun to all involved. We share stories and sip wine over a homemade harvest lunch, and eat lots of cake!
We normally harvest between the months of September to November, and we’re always looking for keen volunteers to help us out – drop us an email if you’re interested.
Our wines
Our style is fruit-driven and easy drinking. 2022 was our first vintage and we have an exciting portfolio of wines to share with you!
Our Traditional Method Sparkling wines are aged for different lengths of time on lees to create different styles of wine. From just 85 days ageing, 18 months for our Pink Fizz through to 8 years for our Sparkling Seyval.
We were very lucky with such a fantastic year of weather for our first crop in 2022, we were able to make a red wine which can only be done in the best years. Similarly, we were able to craft a very special limited edition Late Harvest Wine from our very first vintage.
With each year presenting different challenges, each vintage will contain unique characteristics, and we’re more than happy to showcase this vintage variation as we journey through!
Why not stay in our cosy Bed & Breakfast at our working family farm near Shrewsbury?
